The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: A Retelling
by amanatee
Summary: Almost everyone, especially everyone reading Zelda fanfiction, probably knows the story of the Ocarina of Time. I simply want to retell that story in a detail and style that would be highly enjoyable to fans of said story.
1. Chapter 1

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

_A Fan Fiction Retelling_

_by Adam Holloway_

**Chapter One: Link's Awakening**

_Navi, o Navi, the fairy_

_Canst thou sense it?_

_The climate of evil descending upon this realm? _

_The time has come for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey. _

_Fly Navi! Fly! _

_Descend upon him!_

_T_he Boy Without A Fairy awoke to a loud buzzing sound like giant insect wings. "Hmh?" he mumbled. He just knew someone had come in without his permission again.

"Hey!"

Now he sat up on the edge of the bed, confused at the sound of the tiny voice. Yes, fairies spoke, but never so directly toward one of the Kokiri Children of the Forest.

"Link! You must gather your strength! You have been summoned by the Great Deku Tree!"

The bluish white light of the fairy who spoke to him gleamed across his face, and he began to grow less oblivious as a realization passed over him.

"Do I finally have my own fairy guardian?! Is that why I've been summoned?!" The idea of it made his heart jump, for Link was the only Kokiri child without his own fairy guardian. The fairies were watchers. To have a fairy guardian was to be able to pass through the Lost Woods and worship at the Forest Temple. Link was considered a shame and a mystery all at once by many of the inhabitants of the Kokiri Forest, but none were as ashamed as Link himself.

"I am sorry, Link! I can't say much to you. Great Deku told me not to speak of it until we arrive! I'm Navi! Its nice to finally meet you, Link!"

Speaking to the Great Deku was not an exciting endeavor, but a terrifying one. It has been said among the many circles in Kokiri Village that the Great Deku Tree controls more of the Great Forest than any tribe could know. To be in the presence of him is nothing short of an ordeal. While standing some distance away, a visitor is bombarded with noise from creaking, massive branches that sway with his booming, bone-rattling speech. His face looks as if it had been carved by a magnificent celestial hand. To be summoned is not a very frequent thing, and it was almost never a summons for good news.

Navi flew outside and circled Link's tree hut. As Link walked out onto his wooden balcony, he took in the sights around him. Morning in Kokiri Village was the time of day that all the Children of the Forest were up and about. Some were doing chores and some were playing. One child was busy moving rocks into a big pile at the side of his yard.

Link's tree hut stood between a small cliff and a patch of tall grass. There were many such patches scattered throughout Kokiri Village, and it was said that it was these patches of grass that gave rise to the fairies, as they were completely untouched by Kokiri and mankind alike. The rich soil from which these fairy blossom sprout seems to have an unrelenting amount of energy, all of which is said to originate from the strength of the Great Deku Tree.

Crossing over to the hand-made wooden ladder, he noticed the mushroom growing in the corner of his balcony. _That's not good,_ he thought. The Kokiri abhorred uncleanliness.

Navi was waiting for him when he reached the bottom of the ladder. He was surprised and

happy to see that Saria had also noticed he was awake. She waved and said "Good morning, Link!"

"Good morning, Saria." He smiled at her.

"Navi tells me that you've been summoned!"

"Yeah." He looked at the ground and kicked at a blade of grass. "It's not what I was hoping for though. What do you think it means?"

"You worry too much, Link. At least you'll be able to wield the Kokiri Sword." She gave him her best reassuring tone.

"Yeah, I guess so. I was just hoping, you know, that it was my turn."

At the mention of that, Saria looked somehow saddened. _She knows_, Link thought. _She knows something is not right._

Navi turned to Link and said, "Link, we must keep moving. The Deku Tree awaits and we haven't even gotten your supplies yet!"

They left Saria behind and headed toward Rolling Rock Shrine. It was there that Link's supplies awaited. The Kokiri Sword and Shield were part of a great Kokiri tradition, and shared around the community whenever one was summoned by the Great Deku Tree. _Not only is it a tradition, it is a necessity, _Link thought to journey to the Deku Tree was not far, but perilous. Deku Babas lined the path to the Grove, with their roots sensing all movement on the surface. They are quick and ruthless plants; grown up to be the perfect eating machines, and they keep unwanted rodents and visitors from tracking too far onto sacred grounds. They have fleshy, tough heads sitting atop strong tendrils wrapped around its stem. Link had only really seen them once or twice, for he had rarely left the village for his lack of a Fairy Guardian.

Rolling Rock shrine was an aptly named, seemingly natural area of the forest where, over the course of a year, the buildup of soot and gravel from a nearby stream gathered together to create an enormous mound of densely packed bottom-material. The Kokiri gathered together this material together to eventually create a massive round ball that they let dry in the sun. The end result is a big, brown, hard-packed boulder that the Kokiri used in the great Rolling Rock tradition held annually. This was done by rolling the rock down a select path somewhere in forest. It was different every time, and the luck of the coming year was to be told by the distance traveled. It was an age old tradition, but Link seemed to think it was just another excuse to get together and feast on scrub and roasted deku nuts.

As Navi led him into the small entrance into Rolling Rock shrine, Link had to duck to get through. He never understood why some of the doorways throughout the forest were so tiny, though many of the other fairy guardians tried to explain to him the great history of the Kokiri people.

Link noticed the big chest sitting the corner of the shrine, the hardwood shield hanging on the wall behind it. The chest was sitting on a big ancient stump, and didn't seem to be locked.

"This is the first time I've opened the chest myself, Navi. Are you sure it's okay?"

"Yes, this is by The Great Deku Tree's orders, Link!"

Link reached out and flipped down the latch to the chest, pressed both palms against the center, and pushed upward. Immediately, the glare of the sunlight being reflected by the blade hit his eyes, and he had to look away. When he looked back, he reached down and grasped the hilt and admired its handiwork. Though old, the Kokiri Sword was a simple, yet beautiful blade. It was very impressive to Link, who had never held such a piece of work. It felt right in his hands, and he felt almost immediately ashamed of how proud he was to hold it. The Kokiri were raised to reject violence; and the Kokiri sword, being the only sword in the entire village, was only to be used for protection while crossing the great path to speak to the ancient Deku Tree. Despite all of this, somehow Link felt naturally comfortable holding it firmly in his left hand. And there was a pang of regret when he realized today was probably the only day he would get to hold this blade before returning it to its place in the chest.

He reached out and grasped the hardwood shield, and felt the same thing all over again. The shield boasted the ancient Deku symbol of the forest, burned in an amazing red glare.

"Link, don't forget what the sword was resting on!"

Link looked down to see what she meant. He almost forgot the hero garb. It was customary to where the green tunic and green fairy hat when going on this visit.

In no time, Link was fully suited, and thankful that the tunic slowly and magically fit to anyone who wore it. He felt comfortable, he realized.

_Why does this feel so familiar?_

Link walked out of Rolling Rock shrine, feeling more confident then he had ever felt in his short time with the Kokiri.

**Chapter Two: The Great Deku Tree**

_L_ink stood where the path to the Great Deku Tree began, and thought that it looked darker than usual. The forest sounds around him made it almost impossible to hear anything else, but he swore he must have heard something growl in the darkness.

"No worries, Link!" said Navi. " It's just a short venture and we'll be there in no time!"

"Well-", Link began.

"JUST WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING, LINK!"

From behind Navi and Link came one of the sounds that a lot of Kokiri children dreaded most. Milo's voice.

"You can't just go to see the Deku Tree without permission! Where's your fairy guardian!? Oh right, you don't have..." He saw Navi. "Who are you?"

"My name's Navi! Nice to meetcha!"

"Chipper little bugger, eh? What's going on here?"  
"Link's been summoned by the Deku Tree!"

Milo looked crestfallen. "What!? You mean someone like _Link_!?"

Link remembered that Milo had never been summoned before. It must have been like a punch in the gut to realize it. Milo was almost two-hundred years old. Link was only ten.

Navi could sense the disappointment very well. "I am sorry, Milo."

Milo looked so angry that he had tears at the edges of his eyes. And then he punched Link in the stomach before running off in the opposite direction.

"OoFph!!" Link dropped. Before he could say anything Milo was gone. He was winded from the blow.

"Are you okay, Link!?"

"I'm ..y.", Link said, breathless.

He got up, dusted himself off, and walked into the forest. The sun was blocked more and more the further they walked, and the smells of the forest consumed Link. He could smell the pungent mushrooms, their spore hanging heavily in the air. The leafy green smells lingered with the sweet-strong scent of the many carnivorous flowers.

Link thought back to earlier this morning, when Saria had acted strangely at his wanting a fairy of his own. _She must have known I was ashamed all this time. What's going on here? Why was I summoned today, if not for a fairy guardian? _Deep down Link thought that he should have known there was to be no ordaining of fairy guardians. True-born Kokiri Children of the Forest were brought into the world _because_ of the fairy.

_How did I get here?_

Link was suddenly broken from his reverie by a warm, sick feeling at his shins. He looked down, and saw slimy plantlike tendrils wrapping slowly up his right leg.

"Link!! Deku Baba!!" Navi screamed.

He had been caught off guard, and the thorns were tearing into his calf. The blood was already pooling in his right leather boot. He was frozen for a moment before reflex saw his sword chopping a big messy-green chunk out of the side of the tentacle. The Deku Baba, no more than eight feet away, let out a disgusting hiss from its tough leather-like head.

Link hacked at the tentacle until his leg was free, just before it would have tightened to bring him closer within its reach. The tentacle moved for a few more seconds around his leg before shuttering and sliding off. He kicked it off of his foot, sending drops of his own blood along with it.


	2. Chapter 2

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

A Retelling

By Adam Holloway

Chapter 2

When Link arrived at the Great Deku Tree, he was struck with that famous sense of awe shared among those of the Kokiri tribes down through the ages. To call the Great Deku Tree huge was an understatement. Not only did the tree's branches stretch for what seemed a few miles in various directions, but they _moved_, slightly swaying as a standing person may slightly move their arms. Before one arrived at the Tree, those branches were above the canopy of the forest path, swaying to and fro, as if the Tree could truly protect all those beings which called the vast and dense forest home.

And now, as Link stood below the eyes of the great trunk, his leg still raw from the fairy magic that healed his wound, he felt small and weak. A strong feeling of insignificance overtook his senses, and he trembled – first inwardly, and soon visibly. And suddenly, Link _felt _ more than heard the tree speak to him. A voice that threatened to stop his heart with the strong thrums of endless wooden chords:

_**"Oh... Navi... Thou hast returned... Link... Welcome... Listen carefully to what I, the Deku Tree, am about to tell thee... Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless, and full of nightmares... As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it... Verily, thou hast felt it... Link... The time has come to test thy courage... I have been cursed... I need you to break the curse with your wisdom and courage. Dost thou have courage enough to undertake this task?"**_

__Link fearfully thought to himself.

_Cursed? What does he mean cursed?What can he mean by the servants of evil? Have the ancient ones in the stories the Kokiri told him growing up returned?_

Link felt compelled to ask these questions, but nothing escaped his lips. He was unable to speak in this presence. He knew he had to do what was asked. He just didn't know why it was supposed to be _him._

_**"Link, listen well. Within me resides a stone of great power. It holds the strenght to unlock things thou must know well, and soon. There is not much time left for me. Thou must find the protector of the stone within me. Her name is Gohma. She will give thou the Spritual Stone of the Forest – The Kokiri Emerald."**_

__He didn't know what to say. The Great Deku Tree's mouth stretched slowly open before him, and ancient, cold air crept from its depths. Link approached the gaping maw of the Deku Tree. He stood at an angle, craning his neck in hopes of a better view. His figure was silhouetted against that infinite blackness. The soft flourescent glow of Navi's body did not penetrate the darkness. Link could step in and there would be no way of knowing whether or not he would fall headlong into some death-pit full of venomous babas and skulltullas. Moblins were an ancient race, but Link didn not leave that possibility out of his mind for this place. What could hide and thrive inside of an ancient living tree? The Great Deku Tree was clearly dying from infestation, but Link felt there was something more to his sickness. It was a sickness somehow linked with all the evil in the world. This was what the Tree had spoken of. It was a sickness felt more than seen reflected in the eyes of these many monsters feeding on the decay within the ancient bark of this being.

Link knew somehow that those things long living within would be _changed _from the many creatures in the forest. Whatever fed upon the decaying wood-flesh of The Great Deku Tree might be changed in intent in strange and unknown ways.

He grabbed an old stem of a Deku Baba. They were commonly used in the Kokiri village for lighting, but did not burn long enough to be truly useful without a fuel. He shortly found the dead flesh of a nearby Deku Baba head – oily and slick – and surprisingly flammable. He wrapped a strip of this flesh around the end of the stick and lit it using the flint and steel from his pocket. The forest was too dark from the thick canopy to ever be without the tool. The flame was small at first, barely taking to the oil. It was slight and barely visible at first, but soon it grew brighter. The Kokiri children always said that the slower the flame took hold, the longer it would burn – and the more difficult to snuff out.

After a minute, the brightness took great hold in the flame, and Link could step inside the mouth while observing up to 7 meters in front of him. There were thickly cobwebbed, dark green vines everywhere, and he was struck by a sense of air under his feet as he walked. Below him was an intensely thick layer of webbing. His feet bounced slightly as he walked very carefully down the dark, damp, and oaken corridors.

A little further into the depths, and the corridor opened up into a vast and cold chamber. Strange sounds issued from the edge of the darkness within. Link recognized of few of those sounds: the babas, the scrubs, and maybe even a skulltulla. But there was something more. A sort of ambient sound that wasn't exactly that. It had to be issuing from far above or below him.A soft, yet dense rasping. Breathing. Thumps and scratching movements. Something big.

The Deku Tree had said he needed to find the stonekeeper and procure the Kokiri Emerald. It wasn't going to be easy, he decided. Things within had changed. If the world really was in danger, those things would be reflected first within the Great Deku Tree. He realized this now. These were the things the tree wanted to share with Link. There was a communication between them... even now.

_He wants me to understand his plight._

_ He wants me to understand his pain._

Where could he look?

Presently, as he was thinking on this, a strong draft issued from below his feet. His hair whipped up harshly for a moment.

He looked at his feet and tried his best to look beyond the thick webs.

And his heart jumped into his throat.

In this large chamber, the floor was web. And only web. Through the tiny holes of this, he saw the chambers below of the seemingly endless roots. He looked at the nearest wall and realized he wasn't stationary, but moving very slowly up and down with the elasticity of his floor.

"Link!" Navi said, "The chambers go on for miles down there!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Link stared at the vast chambers below in disbelief. You could not see the end of them. The darkness seemed to have no end.

"Navi?" Link said, "What do you know about Ghoma?"

"Ghoma is an ancient creature. No Kokiri has ever set eyes upon her. She is the guardian of the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, the Kokiri Emerald. Legends have long told of her, but there was never mention of what she might be, or what she may be like. I don't even think the Great Deku Tree has ever seen her face to face!

"How has He never seen Ghoma? The protector of this ancient thing living inside of his trunk?"

Navi did not have an answer for Link. It looked to him like it would be his guess where to go from here.

"Well," he said, "the gust of wind came from below. We might as well see where that may have come from, right?"

Navi's glow went slightly green in agreement. A fairy changing colors was something most Kokiri understood. It was a sort of language of their kind. It is said that among a vast community of fairies, you would hear nothing. They would speak only in their colors to one another, displaying patterns and colors that most of any other kind would never comprehend. Link often wondered when Fairies had learned the language of the children of the forest.

At this moment, at least, Link understood that Navi was in agreement, and so they set about looking for a way down into the depths of the Tree's roots. Amid the thick underlay of webbing Link found a spot that seemed a bit thinner than it's surrounding. Link unsheathed the Kokiri Sword, and poked at one of the cords of web. It immediately snapped and Link lost footing under one side of his body.

He plummeted into darkness. There was a terrible realization that he did not know whether he was falling head-first. Navi was exclaiming. To Link it sounded like a bell ringing. Dust was entering every orifice on his face. He choked. He continued to fall. He did not know where his torch had gone. He thought he saw it flash below him and suddenly go out. There seemed to him to be an eternity of this.

His body slapped liquid. A loud smack. He had fallen on his side. A forced exhale. Link felt one of his lungs completely collapse, and immediately he was sent into a gasping panic. He realized now that he fallen into a pool of gelatinous goo. It may have once been water, but the surface itself had collected dead vines, dead moss, and other dead things he didn't want to think about. He felt his just-healed leg wound reopen and begin to sting with the sensation of corruption. He would drown in this horrible pit. He knew it. He would fail his people. Were they his people? He would fail them either way. He was going to die.

A vine, no, a tongue, laced with razor-sharp barbs wrapped around his leg. It pulled him. It drug him through that terrible muck. He flailed, still unable to breath. The tongue drug him out of the refuse. He was able to gasp air for the first time. The Deku Baba had saved him in the nick of time. He was going to be saved just to be eaten by this ghastly version of the familiar creature. It was venomous. It wasn't the same as the other one. It seemed insidious. It hadn't seen light in it's many quick generations of ancestors. It was pale white with black spots where the eyes were receding. It was dragging him in.

Link had dropped his sword somewhere in the fall. He grasped everywhere, desperately looking for any hold. He got a hold of a vine, but this only worsened his sensation because the Baba tongue had more tension, and the barbs were digging hard into his leg. The shock of it brought out a terrible sound from his lips, and he lost control of himself long enough to let go of the vine. He writhed; and somewhere in this terrible pain, his fear turned into a seed of anger. It grew and consumed him until he could no longer feel the pain. The anger swallowed him up.

_I will not die this way._

Link stopped writhing against the Baba tongue.

_I will rip this creature apart with my bare hands._

Link was not afraid. As the last foot of space closed between him and the Baba, he lunged forward. The Baba was just readying its attack when Links fist plunged to the back of the Baba's mouth and grappled it's stem. Link felt his fingernails dig into and bury themselves in the stem's surrounding flesh. The anger was still fresh in him, and his grip hardened. He twisted his fistful of Baba flesh. He yanked. His face was splattered with an acidic liquid as his hand retracted. The stem was sliding out of the Baba's mouth, which was now continuing to open in a sick fashion. The top half fell unceremoniously to the root floor. The bottom lost its rigidness and there was a plop as it fell as well. Link held a handful of Baba spine. He threw it to the floor.

He collapsed.


End file.
